Review Of New Jersey's Efforts to Account for and Monitor Sub-Recipients' Use of Public Health Preparedness and Response for Bio-Terrorism Program Funds

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

The objectives of this review were to determine whether the State of New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) properly recorded, summarized and reported bio-terrorism preparedness transactions by specific focus areas designated in the cooperative agreements.  In addition, we inquired as to whether bio-terrorism funding supplanted programs previously funded by other organizational sources and whether DHSS established controls and procedures to monitor sub-recipient's expenditures of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funds.  Our review found that DHSS accounted for bio-terrorism program funds in accordance with the terms and conditions of the cooperative agreements with CDC.  DHSS officials stated that CDC funding had not been used to supplant existing State and local programs.  DHSS did not perform site visits to its sub-recipients.  We recommended that DHSS consider implementing a site visit component to its procedures for monitoring sub-recipients and address problem areas, as they are identified.  New Jersey Officials concurred with our recommendation.